There will be something much bigger than medals on the line for the Canadian women's hockey team at the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi.

While the Canadian women pursue a fourth-straight gold medal, their entire sport will essentially be on trial, playing desperation hockey to stay alive as an Olympic event.

Women's hockey could be on the bubble at future Olympics because there simply aren't enough competitive nations. It's almost always Canada and the U.S. at the top and those teams just keep getting better while other countries struggle to provide a semblance of balance.